DT Stroud, after 10 NFL seasons, signs one-day contract to retire as a Jaguar

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud is retiring after a decade in the NFL.

Stroud is planning to sign a one-day contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday before calling it quits.

A first-round draft pick from Georgia in 2001, Stroud spent seven years in Jacksonville. Teamed with John Henderson, Stroud gave the Jaguars one of the most formidable defensive fronts in football between 2002 and 2006. Stroud had 274 tackles and 22 sacks with the Jaguars and was voted a Pro Bowl starter in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Traded to Buffalo in 2008, Stroud had 150 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks in three seasons with the Bills.

He is the fifth player to re-sign with Jacksonville before retiring, joining Tony Boselli, Fred Taylor, Paul Spicer and Donovin Darius.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Kirk Cousins signs contract with Redskins; reportedly four years, $2.5M

Posted: 10:45 AM ET May 31, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Cousins inked his deal with the Redskins on Thursday morning. (Getty Images)
There aren't usually that many players drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft who generate headline-worthy notes when they sign their contract. Kirk Cousins is one of them, for a number of reasons, and he said on Thursday that he has signed his deal with the Redskins.

Cousins is high profile thanks to a confluence of events: he's a quarterback, he's a high-profile player from a big college, he got drafted by the Redskins, and he got drafted by the Redskins using one of their few 2012 NFL draft picks, even though they traded up to No. 2 overall to grab Robert Griffin III. Whatever, the deal's done.

Just signed my contract. Officially a member of the Washington Redskins.

— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) May 31, 2012

And just in case you don't believe Cousins, the Redskins also tweeted the news, complete with a picture of Cousins looking perfectly Kirk Cousins-esque (aloof yet full of determined leadership and gumption) while signing his deal.

#Redskins to announce they have agreed to terms with fourth-round pick (102nd overall) QB Kirk Cousins: twitter.com/Redskins/statu…

— Redskins (@Redskins) May 31, 2012

According to NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, the deal is worth $2.57 million over the four years, with a $472,688 signing bonus.

It's good that the Redskins got one of their drafted quarterbacks under contract -- Griffin remains unsigned as of right now -- but I still find it impossibly difficult for Mike Shanahan's team to justify nabbing another quarterback after using a slew of picks to trade up and grab RG3.

Cousins is competing for a back-up spot and the only way that the Redskins will need him to play any time soon is if a) Griffin gets hurt or b) Griffin is terrible. I'm not sure which scenario is worse.

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Tags: Kirk Cousins, Robert Griffin, Washington Redskins, NFL

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Report: 1st-round pick Quinton Coples signs four-year deal with Jets

Posted: 06:20 PM ET May 17, 2012

By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger

Coples will get the chance to prove he tries hard all the time. (US Presswire)
NFL.com's Jason La Canfora is reporting the Jets have signed their first-round pick, defensive end Quinton Coples, to a four-year guaranteed deal.

Terms haven't been released or reported, but considering Bruce Irvin, picked one spot ahead of Coples, inked a four-year deal worth $9.34 million, Coples' contract will be worth a little less than that. There also will be a team option for a fifth year.

Coples, picked 16th overall out of North Carolina, was seen as a talented and versatile defensive lineman who had questions about how hard he tried on a consistent basis.

"You know, I'm a big guy. I'm a long-strider, things of that nature, so where it may come fast to me in a game, on film it's slowing down a little bit," Coples said before the draft. "People have their own opinions. Some people don't even think it was a problem. So it's different opinions, and you just go for what it is."

There was a report after the draft that the Jets originally were willing to take either Coples or Irvin and were willing to trade down with the Steelers so Pittsburgh could grab guard David DeCastro, but when the Seahawks surprisingly selected Irvin at No. 15, New York panicked and grabbed Coples.

Not true, Rex Ryan said.

“(Irvin) is a guy we did a lot of stuff on,” Ryan said. “We liked Bruce Irvin as a player, but not ahead of the first two guys we took (including Stephen Hill in the second round)."

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Josh Katzowitz on Twitter here: @joshkatzowitz.

Tags: Bruce Irvin, Quinton Coples, Stephen Hill, New York Jets, NFL

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Cowboys safety Sensabaugh signs five-year contract extension

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have signed safety Gerald Sensabaugh to a five-year contract extension.

The team didn't release terms of the deal announced Friday.

It's the first multiyear deal with the Cowboys for the seventh-year pro, who has 12 interceptions and 335 tackles in 93 career games, including 65 starts.

A fifth-round pick by Jacksonville in 2005, Sensabaugh spent his first four seasons with the Jaguars before coming to Dallas. He had a career-high five interceptions last season.

Also Friday, the Cowboys placed running back Phillip Tanner on season-ending injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Receiver Andre Holmes was activated from the practice squad to fill Tanner's roster spot.

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